Apparatus for printing or marking.



J. T. QUIGLEY.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING 0R MARKING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6. 1914.

137731 19. I Patented Aug. 27, 1918'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Ill/1.--.-.

minesses: 19 Inven for:

H Wflk John TOuiyle g 4 M 7-28 24 213/ 3:0

J. T. QUIGLEY.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING 0R MARKING.

-APPLICATIQN FILED MAR. 15' 1914.

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a 33 av Min ess es InvenZor JoimZQuz' lay.

b y Afiys.

citizen of the United States, and a resident cor-m 'r. .QUIGLEY, or BOSTON, MASSAOHUSETTSLASSIGNOR, BY mnsnn assrcmzmnrs,

TO COSTMETER COMPAIYY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING on MARKING.

Application filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. $2 1,934.

To all whom it may concern: f I

Be it known that I, JOHN T. QUIGLEY, a

of Boston, in the county of Sufi'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Printing or Marking, of which the following description, in. connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to apparatus for printing and marking, and more particu-' larly to printing or marking an impression sheet from an inking ribbon or other inking vehicle.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when 9 taken in connection with the accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a'plan view showing printing appliances embodying one form of my invention Fig. 2 is a plan on a reduced scale of an.

inking ribbon with its annular holder;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing the.

ribbon feeding pawl in a difierent position from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation inpartial section showing the relation of the wiper to the paper and the ribbon;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the wiper;

Fig. 6 is a section in elevation on the line 66 in Fig. l; p

Fig. 7 is a central, sectional elevation taken through the printing device showing the Wiper and its slide in the initial position;

' Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the wiper and its slide in the final position after traversing the paper; 9

Fig.9 is a cross sectional view showing the two paper tapes in .relation to the ribbons,

the parts here as in Fi 4 being shown of slightly exaggerated thickness for the sake of 'clearness;

Fig. 10 is an end elevation showing the bracket carrying the ribbon feeding gear and ratchet;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation showin a recording machine equipped with thenrlnting devices heretofore referred to;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the paper tape on which a record has been inade by means of the described printing devices;

Fig. 13 shows in perspective a sheet metal tag with charactersembossed in relief thereon and adapted to serve as a relief plate for the printing mechanism; and

Fig. 14.- shows also in perspective a second 'plate also bearing characters in reliefand adapted to serve as a seat for the sheet metal relief plate.

Referring to the drawings, I have there shown my invention asembodied in and ap-' plied to a device for printing letters, figures or other characters upon an impression'sheet. The specific application of the invention is to a recording 'machineof the typeshown in my copending application Serial No. 799,988 filed November 8, 1913, where it is required to record certain identifying characters from time to time upon one or more constant-1y fed tapes for the purpose of measuring'the time costs of different operations performed. This embodiment, however, is submitted merely to illustrate the principle of the invention which is applicable to various kinds of printing or marking machines used for widely difierent purposes and'employing impression sheets other than in the form of paper tapes. J

The devices for holding, positioning and feeding the paper tapes, the specific nature of which it will be understood from. the above is not material to the present, invention, may be briefly referred to as follows:

The impression sheets, which are in the form Patented Aug. 27,1918.

of continuous paper tapes 1 and 2, are supplied from rolls 3 and 4 mounted to turn upon the studs 5 and 6, respectively. The

tape 1 passes from its roll3 over the guide roller 7 to the slotted guide-bracket 8 through which it passes in superimposed relation tothe tape 2 leading from its roll 4. From the guide 8 they pass in operative relation to the printing devices, hereinafter.

more fully described, and thence to a feeding drum-or carrier 9 provided with circumferentially arranged impaling points adaptedto impale and draw the tapes past the printing devices as the drum is rotated. The

tapes are held pressed into close-relation to -the feeding drum by the segmental guard plate 10.' As the feeding drum 9 turns, the tapes 1' and 2 are stripped therefrom by the stripper 11 and thence pass to the bottom of the caslng 12 in which the operative parts by means of the intermeshing driving gears 1 1, 15 and 16 whereby a constant feed of the two tape sheets is secured.

Referring more particularly to the printing or marking of the tape, this is preferably accomplished byplacing the tape or other record sheet together with an ink saturated fabric or other ink vehicle in close relation to a printing plate or other equivalent member, causing a printing member to exert thereagainst a relatively slight pressure over a relatively small area and then moving the printing member over successive portions of the printing surface. Such action may be obtained by causing a wiper or other presserto wipe over successive portions of the paper and the inking fabric where they face the printing characters. The area of pressure between the wiper and the paper is preferably made to approximate as nearly as'possible that corresponding to a single line of contact. A traveling pressure of this kind gives results which cannot be obtained either by a pressure applied uniformly and simultaneously to all parts of the printing surface or by a pressure of a member striking the ribbon such as the action of a type bar of a typewriter.

The wiping pressure takes the ink out. of

the fabric and applies it cleanly to the pa: :per. It does this irrespective of'irregularities and imperfections in the printing characters since it appears to sink the ribbon and paper'alike into characters having high or low relief.

In applying this system of printing to the described type of machine, the block 17 which overhangs the upright plate 18 constitutes a bed plate for the printing devices. At the bed plate the tapes 1 and 2 are caused -.to pass over and closely adjacent to inking vehicles 19 and 20', respectively. These may be in" the form ofcontinuous ribbons, but herein I have provided a novel form of inking vehicle in the form of an ink saturated fabric body 19 of disk form and secured at its'edges betweentwo annular pieces of sheet metal 21 and 22, the'latter having their peripheries cut in thefform of earteeth 23 for a purpose to be described, he fabric 19 may be of any suitablegmaterial,

1 such as-the material-out of which typewriter ribbons are commonly made, and the annular strips 21 and 22 of sheet metal maybe riveted or otherwise fasteriedtogether,

clamping the edges of the disk-shaped ribbon tightly between them.

"The bed plate 17 is horizontally slotted .as indicated in Figs; 7 and 8 so as to receive stud 26; andat a third point by the curved seat-27 for-med at the front end of the bed plate 17 (see Fig. 1). In this positionthe axis of the holder is at one side of the printing plate and the tapes 1 and 2.

In this position they are securely. maintained and may be turned to bring successive portions of the inking fabric over the paper tape and printing devices by merely turning the feed gear 24. The inking ribbons, however, may be removed at will by merely lifting'the loosely held stud '26 and withdrawing the roller 25, this leaving both ribbon holders free to be withdrawn from the slotted bed plate.

The ribbon feeding gear 2 1 is fastened on an upright shaft 28 which latter also carries the ratchet member 29, the latter adapted to be engaged and turned step by step by the pawl 30 (Figs. 1 and 3). The pawl is in the form of a bent spring having a projecting shoulder 31 adapted to be struck by the sllde .32 on which the presser or, wiper member is carried, so that for each movement of the latter the pawl imparts a feeding movement to the ratchet 29 and the gear 24 and turns the feeding ribbon through one step as is represented in the two successive positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Herein the printing characters are presented by members which are removably in.- serted in the machine between the bed plate 17 and the lower inking member'20. These comprise a plate 35 (Fig. 14) bearing printing characters 36 in relief. This plate is of such shape that it fits an opening in the end of the bed plate 17 and, can be slid into a seat provided therein. In this position the raised printing characters 36 are located beneath and adjacent the edges of the tapes y l and 2, as represented in Figs. 7 and 8.

' The top of the relief plate 35 is fiat and I shaped to receive, a second relief plate 37 (Fig, 13).; the latter formed of thin sheet metal and of ill-shaped cross section having either separately or with the saidplate. The

sheet metal plate 37 has printing characters 38 exposed in relief thereon. These-maybe raised with but a'very slightclearance, such, for example, asmaybe obtained: by embossing a thin piece of sheet metal','-' and auclear impression thereby obtained with the aid of the inking ribbon and the presser member hereinafter referred "to.

i so

- 'from the position shown in. Fig. 7 to that The two plates 37 and 35 together forms. printing surface with the printing characters 38 and 36 in relief at substantially the same elevation and in such relation that they.

are impressed upon'the tape in the manner indicated in Fig.-12. In the specific form of machine shown the members on the sheet metal plate or tag 37 are employed to identify the particular operation performed and are changed with each operation by the sub- The latter is provided with perforated ears 41 adapted to slide on the "horizontally ar-- ranged guide rods 42 fixedly. positioned in the bedplate 17. The rear ends of the rods projecting through and back of the bedplate are bent to provide anchor supports for the springs 43, which latter pass through openings in the rear of the bed plate 17 and have their forward ends secured to the-slides. so that they tend normally to retract the slide into the position shown in .Fig. 1.

The wiper block has a slight up and down movement in the slide between limits which a are determined bya transverse pin 44 engaging a notched portion 45 in the shank of the wiper. block. To provide a downward yielding pressure on the wiper a coil spring 46 is carried within the upright barrelshaped handle 47 and presses downwardly on the shank of the wiper block so that the wiper is constantly pressed down toward the upper paper tape. The contacting edge of thelwiper is preferably in the form of a rounded chisel point, as represented in Figs.

4 and 5, to give a narrow area of contact with the paper. In making the record the handle 47 is seized and the slide moved so as to sweep the wiper transversely the tape shown in Fig. 8, the wiper passing over and across the tapes in the manner which is shown in Fig. 4 where the thickness of the tape-sand ribbons and the vertical move ment of the wiper is somewhat exaggerated.

Both tapes are pressed into close relation. with the adjacent inking fabrics and v the printingch'aracters by this transverse (i0 movementof the Dresser over and across the same although the upper tape only is in actual contact with the pressen. When the handle 47 is released the slide" returns to its initial position under the pull of thespring I wiper a progressively traveling pressure'is.

produced across the tapes and an impression of' the printing characters is formedupon each of the tapes, the pressure forcing the ink .out of the ribbon and applying it-cleanly. to the paper. The character ofthe im'pression isshown in Fig. 12 the same impression being made on both tapes.. I A With each movement of the pressing wiper the pawl 30 is caused to .move the ratchet 29 onestep and give the inking ribe.

bon 'a slight lateral movement to bring a fresh portion of the. inking ribbon under: the wiper. This device provides a simple, 8 cheap form of inking vehicle which can be inexpensively constructed, easily placed inposition or removed'and, with the feeding mechanism. shown, last a long time. The impression which is made upon the-86 tape may be changed from time to time by bringing into operative relation to the tape new printing characters. In the described embodiment of the invention this may be done by substituting new strips 37 or plates 90 a 35 for those in vthe'machine. 4 It has been found that the described ribbon printing devices permit the use of thin sheetmetal relief plates with the numbers roughly embossed thereon by steel dies. 9

Where this method ofprinting employed the relief need not be more than six or eight \thousandths of an inch. This permitsthese strips to be made in largequantitiesof i cheap sheet metal-and in automatic 'rnachines which maybe employed to emboss the j numbers serially or otherwise as desired. Carbon coated paper or fabrics other thanv woven ribbons may be'employed asthe ing vehicle and other forms than the disk form herein shown may be used. p

, While this method of printing has-the advantages named in connection. with'the embossed printing characters carried by a -relief plate it is not l'mited to that specific 1 ,for'moftype. In the described embodiment of .my in. vention there. is also employed a' device which herein performs both the. function of holding the impression sheet against move- 1 5 ment while the press'e'r is wiped acrossfthe same, and also of placing an additional mark upon the tape, herein 1n the form. "of a transverse-line. This device is herein shown shaped gripping .and marking'edge 52 ek tending across the -uppertape '1, but nor mally lifted therefrom by means of the lift-[1 25" ing 'spring 53 secured to the block 1-7 but having a bending end underlying the arm In srs vated. position the tape is free, i t fed W thout interference with the-g i Pmg 39d fialklng edge 52. whenithe slide-11.30

3 2, however, is wiped across the tape a relatively stiff spring 54 in a transverse slot 1n the slide is caused'to ride up from the position shown in Fig. 7 over the arm and press the same downwardly into grippmg and marking engagement with the tape as repof position can take place during the passage of the wiper, but it also leaves a transverse mark upon each tape as represented in Fig.12, which inthe embodiment of the machine shown may be used as a datum or reference line; It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the gripping edge 52 lies closely adjacent the path of the presser so that it performs the further function of holding the tapes and the ribbons flat and smooth against the'wiping action of the presser.

When the slide returns to its initial position the gripping arm is released and lifts clear of the paper permitting both the tapes and the ribbons to be fed.

While for purposes of illustration 1 have herein shown the invention as applied to the printing or marking of paper tape and in one particular kind ofmachine, it is to be understood that the same is not limited to the printing or marking of any particular kind of an impression sheet or to machines for any particular purpose, but that widely difierent applications may be made of the invention and that the same may be embodied in a great variety of forms and being in no wise limited to the specific construction herein shown.

Claims 1. A rinting mechanism. having'means for holding an impression sheet, means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a printing character or characters thereon held in printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, a pressure member for applying pressure progressively traveling across the impression sheet to pressthe sheet, vehicle and printing member together, and mechanism for. moving said pressure member from an initial position forward and then reversely backward across the impression sheet-while the latter is gripped, or held to prevent displacement thereof, thereb to cause successive portions of the printing charactersto force the ink out of the vehicle onto the sheet.

2. A printing mechanism having means for holding a continuous impression sheet,

means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printmg member with a printing character or characters thereon held in printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, means for causing the movement of said continu- T ous sheet across said printing characters, a s5 presser guided to traverse the printingmember, sheet and vehicle, mechanism for moving the presser from an initial position first in one direction and then reversely backward to its initial position to apply a traveling pressure to the impression sheet, the said sheet being held against traveling movement while said presser is being moved across the same.

- 3. A printing. mechanism having means for holding a continuous impression sheet,. means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a prlnting character or characters thereon having printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, means for causing the progressive traveling movement of said continuous impression sheet, a movable pressure member having a path of movement transverse the movement of said impression sheet and across the printing member, and means to move the pressure member reciprocatively to force successive portions of the sheet and inking pressure member reciprocatively to force successive portions of the sheet and inking vehicle toward the printing member on both the forward and backward movements, said sheet being held against traveling movement while engaged by said pressure member.

5. A printing mechanism having means for holding an impression sheet, an inking fabric, an annular holder for the same, a printing member held in printing relation to the fabric and sheet, a presser adapted to be moved to apply traveling pressure to the impression sheet, and means actuated by the movement of the presser for turning said fabric holder to bring afresh surface into printing relation.

6. A printing mechanism having means for holding an impression sheet, means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a printing character or characters thereon held in printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, a movable pressure member having a ment across the sheet and printing member, means to move the same to force successive portions of the sheet and inking vehicle toward the printing member, and means to grip the sheet. to prevent slippage during movement of the presser member.

ath of movepressing the marker against the sheet.

7. A printing mechanism having means I vehicle and printing member together, a 10 gripping member and means actuated by said pressure applying means to apply said gripping member to the sheet to prevent slippage during application of the traveling.

pressure.

8. A printing mechanism having means for holding an impression sheet, means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a printing character or characters thereon held in printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, means to apply a pressure progressively traveling across the pressure sheet to press the sheet, vehicle and printing member together, and means to grip the sheet to prevent slippage comprising a pivoted gripping arm and means to press the same upon the sheet while the traveling pressure. is applied.

9. A printing mechanism having means for'holding an impression sheet, means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a printing character or characters thereon held in printing relation to said vehicle and sheet, a presser adapted to be moved to traverse the printing member, sheet and vehicle, a marker, and means actuated by said presser for 10.'A printing mechanism having ineans for holding an impression sheet, means for holding an inking vehicle against the same, a printing member with a printing character or characters thereon held. in printing relation to saidvehicle and sheet, a presser adaptedto be moved to traverse they printing member, sheet and vehicle, marking and gripping means comprising .a movable member having a gripping and marking edge, and means carried by thepresser for force ing the same against theshee't.

11. A printing" mechanism having means for holding an -jj-impression sheet, means for holding an. inkingvehible against the "same, a printing meinber with aprint-ing character or characters thereon held iII p1 inting relation to said vehicle andsheet, means for applying a pressure progressively tra'v eling acrossthe pressure sheet to press the sheet, printing vehicle, and member ,together to cause successive portions of the printing characters to force the ink out of the vehicle on to the sheet, and means simultaneously to mark atransverse line across the sheet.

12. A'printing mechanism having means for holding an impression sheet, a printing plate in printing relation thereto, an inking ribbon, a presser adapted to press the sheet,

ribbon and pressing plate together, a slide I adapted to carry the presser transversely across the printing plate, a marking and gripping member, and means carried 'by the slide for engaging said member to press the same into gripping when the slide is moved.- '1

13. A printing mechanism having means for holding an lmpression sheet, a printing member with a printing character or char actersthereon, an inking vehicle held in printing relation to said sheet and printing member and comprising an. ink-carrying fabric, an annular holder for the same, a

presser guide totraverse the printing member, sheet and vehicle, means for moving the presser, and means actuated by movement of the presser for turning said fabric holder to bring a fresh surface thereof into printing relation.

14. A for holding an impression sheet, a printing member, a printing character or characters thereon, an inking vehicle held in printing relation to said sheet and member andcomprising an ink-carryingfabric, an annular holder for thefsame having gear teeth out in its periphery, a presser guided to traverse -the printing member, sheet and vehicle, means for moving said presser to apply a traveling pressure to the impress on sheet, and means for turning the .fabrlc holder comprising a pinion meshing wlth the gear teeth on the holder, a ratchet connected to relation to the sheet printing mechanism having means the pinion, a pawl for turning the ratchet,

and means actuated by the presser-moving meansfor actuating said pawl. I

In testimony whereof, I have-signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 

